Coldengham, New York
Store of Cadwallader Colden, Jr.
Belknap
250 years ago today, seventeen persons made 60 transactions at the Colden Store. Jonathan Belknap was credited cash for some purchases he had made the previous Friday and he informed Colden that he had taken three gallons of West Indian Rum on Monday which had not been entered into the DayBook.
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This article is one in a series of a daily accountings of Colden Store transactions. Be sure you read the first installment for more of an introduction to the store. You should also read this article which appeared in the Journal of the Orange County Historical Society.
I have many questions associated with this entry.
Firstly, if Belknap had paid with cash on Friday, there would have been no entry in the DayBook if I correctly understand Colden's procedures. What percentage of the store transactions were in cash and hence not recorded?
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| Jonathan Belknap's purchases at the Colden Store on February 6, 1768. |
Secondly, how had Belknap come up with the money over the weekend? Did he have some business that ran on cash? Was he related to the Belknaps who were known to own a tavern?
Lastly, how had he managed to remove three gallons of rum from the store on Monday without being recorded? Was this a clerical omission? Or did the store sometimes remain unattended and people took items on the honor system?
The Belknap name appears 103 times in the DayBook, one of the most frequent of any surname. The given names in order of appearance are John (50 entries), Jonathan (31 entries; this is a separate account # so not the same as John), Thomas Junr (6), John Junr (1) , Thomas (8), and Joseph (5).
By this date, there were several lines of the Belknap family living in New Windsor, Newburgh, and maybe even Wallkill Precinct (which would eventually become Hanover and then Montgomery). It is not known exactly where Jonathan fits into this family, but he appears to be related to John as they pick up each others items and at one point have sequential account numbers.
They also appear to be relatively weathy judging from the number of purchases and the number of slaves (men, boys, girls) that pick up items at the store for them.
At least one of the Belknap families ran a tavern. Perhaps Jonathan was involved with this family and was purchasing rum for guests? The 1782 map of New Windsor below, shows two Belknap homes. The home in the upper left is labelled "Jo. Belknap." The location is about where 17K meets Rt. 207.
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| 1782 Dewitt Map of New Windsor Cantonment. Jo. Belknap home shown at upper left. The connection of this Belknap with the Jonathan Belknap who paid for rum on this date is only speculation. |
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